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Harassment case hears about four handguns shipped to U.S. inside a computer

VANCOUVER – A Canadian man accused of harassing his ex-wife in the United States was told by police she feared he would secretly cross the border and attack her, a British Columbia Supreme Court jury heard Monday.

RCMP Const. Jean-Philippe Dupont presented parts of an interview he witnessed another officer conduct with Patrick Fox in July 2016.

Fox was later charged with one count of criminal harassment involving his ex-wife, Desiree Capuano, who complained to police from her home in Arizona.

“She does fear that if you were able to get across the border without being noticed that you would go there and shoot her,” Dupont said, reading from the police interview in court.

“Your actions are potentially causing someone to be harmed. She has a legitimate fear for her safety.”

Fox also faces one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

The jury heard that four handguns were found inside a computer in a box that Fox shipped to a California address from Burnaby, B.C. Another box contained a deconstructed bolt-action rifle, court heard.

Agent Frank Spizuoco of the American Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the RCMP notified the agency in 2016 about two dozen packages containing mostly electronics equipment.

The Crown alleges Fox sent hundreds of insulting emails to Capuano, one of which was copied to their son and said Fox would shoot the boy’s mother if it were not morally wrong or illegal.

The Crown also alleges Fox set up a website with personal information about Capuano that also accused her of child abuse, white supremacy and drug addiction.

Fox, who is representing himself in court, asked Spizuoco during cross-examination whether the agent knew if the boxes had been opened before he took possession of them.

Spizuoco said he had no information on whether they had been opened and he also didn’t know how much time had passed between the boxes being delivered and the arrival of agency officials, nor whether they might have been tampered with.